Annual Report 2016

A LETTER FROM: Melissa Norden, Executive Director

My first year as your Executive Director has been a truly life-changing experience for me. I continue to be amazed by the dedication of our staff, board, volunteers, and referral partners, by the generosity of our wonderful supporters and corporate partners, and by the resilience and strength of our remarkable clients.I’m often asked what distinguishes Bottomless Closet from other similar organizations that help women reentering the workforce. For me, the most striking differences are the one-on-one support we provide and the life-long connections we foster.We’re not just dressing women for the workplace – we’re connecting them with new careers. We’re not just revamping their resumes – we’re connecting them with elements of themselves that they’ve forgotten. We’re not just preparing women for job interviews – we’re connecting them with the strength and self-confidence to start again. We’re not just holding personal and professional development workshops – we’re connecting women with success. From their very first visit here, women will be connected with Bottomless Closet for life.

My first year as your Executive Director has been a truly life-changing experience for me. I continue to be amazed by the dedication of our staff, board, volunteers, and referral partners, by the generosity of our wonderful supporters and corporate partners, and by the resilience and strength of our remarkable clients.I’m often asked what distinguishes Bottomless Closet from other similar organizations that help women reentering the workforce. For me, the most striking differences are the one-on-one support we provide and the life-long connections we foster.We’re not just dressing women for the workplace – we’re connecting them with new careers. We’re not just revamping their resumes – we’re connecting them with elements of themselves that they’ve forgotten. We’re not just preparing women for job interviews – we’re connecting them with the strength and self-confidence to start again. We’re not just holding personal and professional development workshops – we’re connecting women with success. From their very first visit here, women will be connected with Bottomless Closet for life.

In 2016, we celebrated our 17th anniversary, had more than 3,300 client interactions, welcomed over 20 new referral partners and countless new volunteers and corporate partners. These milestones are not possible without your support. For everything that you do to make a difference in the lives of the women that we serve, we cannot thank you enough.

Melissa Norden

A LETTER FROM: Christine Chang, Board Chair

“I love the environment and setting. Everyone is so nice. Even if it is your first time meeting them, they still treat you like they have known you forever.”

As Board Chair, reading such kind words from our clients makes me so proud to be a part of Bottomless Closet. Feedback like this speaks directly to the personal support and individualized attention we’re committed to giving to each woman who walks through our doors. Furthermore, I know that no matter how much we continue to grow, our core values and the compassion we show to our clients and volunteers will never change.Over the last year, we’ve thought a lot about the connections we foster with our clients, our volunteers, our partners, and our supporters. From the moment our clients come in for their first appointment, they become a part of the extended Bottomless Closet family. The same happens for our dedicated volunteers and anyone who enters our doors…once you walk through them, you are welcomed into the fold.As we look back at how much the organization has grown since it was first established in 1999, we are incredibly excited about what’s in store for us in the years to come.

Christine C. Chang

RECONNECTING WITH: Carla, Client and Referral Partner

Carla spent over 25 years as an educator, mentoring and teaching individuals from elementary through undergraduate age in her native Jamaica, before making the tough decision to migrate to the U.S. in June of 2014. By that time, she had reached the top of her career at a prominent university, and was leaving behind her friends and students with whom she had built great relationships and trust.

“For me, it meant starting from scratch,” said Carla. She eventually found work as an after-school program coordinator at a local high school, but when that contract ended, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do. That’s when Carla was referred to South Bronx Overall Economic Corporation (SoBro)’s Educational and Career Department for consideration as an instructor in customer service and sales.

“My transition from school-based to workforce development meant that I would actually have to take the course that I would be teaching,” Carla recalled. When she completed it, she was referred to Bottomless Closet where she was paired with Volunteer Nancy Black. “She provided me with professional attire, job readiness training, resume advice, and financial literacy,” said Carla.

“I still to this day carry around the confidence that she gave me.”

Today, Carla is one of the leading instructors at SoBro, creating and implementing lesson plans and classroom activities that prepare participants for all sectors of employment. Now, Carla gets to pay it forward, referring program participants to Bottomless Closet.

SoBro is just one of over 125 referral organizations that refer women to Bottomless Closet. These women receive work-appropriate clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as resume help, interview prep, and personal and professional development workshops – all provided free of charge.

CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS

3,341= A RECORD NUMBER OF CLIENT INTERACTIONS IN 2016

CORPORATE PARTNERS THAT COUNT
17= A RECORD NUMBER OF CAREER DAYS HELD IN 2016

Wells Fargo volunteers pose with staff

For their continued commitment to helping us assist more women in need, Bottomless Closet would like to thank all of our corporate partners and supporters, including:The IHG Foundation provided Bottomless Closet with valuable grant funding. The InterContinental New York Barclay hosted a Career Day to educate clients about working in the hospitality industry, and graciously hosted our annual graduation ceremony in December 2016.iPass, the leading provider of global mobile connectivity, provided 3,000 Bottomless Closet clients with three months of free, unlimited WiFi, a significant resource that assists them in their job searches, enabling them to compete on an equal playing field.Wells Fargo awarded multiple grants to Bottomless Closet in 2016, including $5,000 through its ‘Community Connections’ program, where Wells Fargo employees were able to nominate an organization whose work had resonated with them. Wells Fargo also generously hosted Bottomless Closet’s 2016 ‘Smart & Sexy Day’ event at its corporate offices.

Bottomless Closet is grateful to the following companies and organizations whose contributions – including monetary gifts, in-kind donations, clothing drives and volunteer time – are absolutely crucial to the fulfillment of our mission.